Tiger Subduing Fist vs Hu Family Saber Technique: An Alternative Iron Crotch Technique

Tiger Subduing Fist, formally known as the I-Character Tiger Subduing Fist, was the foundational entry-level boxing art of White Jade Temple outside Qingjiang Prefecture. It could temper the body, strengthen vital essence, and fortify one's physique, while also serving as a combat art for suppressing enemies and seizing the initiative. It belonged to the martial world's category of imitative boxing styles.

Qian Changming had been an outer disciple at White Jade Temple in his youth. After returning to his hometown of Anyuan County, he founded the Fierce Tiger Martial Arts Hall with White Jade Temple's approval. He had always kept this fist art as the martial school's treasured secret; only direct disciples could learn it. Strictly speaking, those disciples could all be considered members of White Jade Temple, much like Huang Feihong's relationship with Shaolin.

Now that Jia Kui unleashed this set of I-Character Tiger Subduing Fist, it truly carried the majesty of a tiger, fierce and powerful.

When attacking, his movements were swift and nimble, his fists landing with precision as they struck directly at every vital point on Xiang Yang's body.

His defense was equally airtight. Combined with his footwork and movement techniques, he resembled a leaping tiger.

After a series of crisp clangs, Jia Kui's fists caught the three consecutive slashes of Xiang Yang's Hu Family Saber Technique. His waist and abdomen swayed; though he did not assume a horse stance, he truly seemed to be riding a fine steed, dissolving the tremendous force attached to Xiang Yang's saber.

"What a formidable brat. Fine saber techniques are one thing, but his strength is this great too. Is he born with Divine Power, or does he practice some external hardening art?"

Though he had received Xiang Yang's three linked strikes and deflected most of their force, Jia Kui still felt his fists go sore and numb. A stifling pressure lodged in his chest as he looked at Xiang Yang with probing eyes.

Tiger Subduing Fist was an external training art, but its central purpose remained laying a foundation and developing the body's potential. It did not delve deeply into methods of cultivating strength.

Qian Changming had reached the level of breaking iron plates with his fists because he had formally taken a master at White Jade Temple and been entered into its records. He had White Jade Temple's exclusive medicinal paste from its Medicine Hall to assist his cultivation. For people like them, being able to learn Tiger Subduing Fist in a small place like Anyuan was already a blessing granted by Heaven. They did not have the fortune to receive the true transmission as Qian Changming had.

Yet at such a young age, Xiang Yang's strength had actually surpassed his. It was simply unimaginable. Either the boy was extraordinarily gifted, or he possessed a precious cultivation art. If he could seize that art, his strength would certainly rise dramatically.

Standing some six or seven meters away from Jia Kui, Xiang Yang's saber-wielding right hand was somewhat numb as well, though it remained within his tolerance. He slightly loosened his grip on the hilt, and his thoughts began to stir.

After exchanging more than a dozen moves with Jia Kui, he had occupied the upper hand throughout. The situation could be said to be excellent.

In terms of techniques, the Hu Family Saber Technique, combined with the basic saber arts he had tirelessly cultivated for over a decade, was seasoned and exquisite—now solid, now illusory. When steady, it stood like a towering mountain, immovable; when flowing, it was like a murmuring stream, its entangling, slicing, twisting, scraping, and sweeping all effortless. It surpassed the Tiger Subduing Fist's simple reliance on ferocity and brute force.

In terms of power, Xiang Yang had cultivated the immense strength of the Iron Crotch Technique and received the true transmission of that art. Internal and external worked in harmony, not only increasing his strength but also replenishing his body's deficits and exhaustion.

Though Jia Kui also cultivated Tiger Subduing Fist, he lacked the crucial medicinal paste of White Jade Temple. It could be said that both his cultivation progress and achievements had been greatly diminished. Worse still, excessive training could consume a person's health.

When Qian Changming trained at White Jade Temple in his youth, he had his master and many elders watching over and supporting him, as well as precious medicinal paste to use. His progress was startling; in only a few years, he had trained Tiger Subduing Fist to great mastery.

But after returning to Anyuan County, although he still practiced diligently, his progress became negligible, with almost no improvement at all.

And that was not all. Without medicinal paste to nourish his vital energy and flesh, regulating both within and without, Qian Changming trained too urgently and fiercely. In his prime, his vigorous blood and qi could suppress the damage and keep things stable. But once he reached old age and his blood and qi collapsed, he became bedridden year-round, unable even to leave the house.

So in comparison, Xiang Yang utterly outclassed Jia Kui. Several times, he had been able to defeat and cut him down, yet each time he was delayed by the other man's resilience and a strange rebounding force.

"Internal breath—it must be internal breath. I never expected him to know an internal cultivation method."

Greed appeared in Xiang Yang's eyes. His thoughts were almost identical to Jia Kui's. There were many varieties of internal cultivation methods; the Iron Finger Technique, for instance, also counted as one. Once mastered, it could cultivate its own specialized inner force.

The strange force Jia Kui wielded now could not be called inner force at all. At best, it was internal breath. Either his internal cultivation method was not particularly impressive, or the man's aptitude was simply crude.

But regardless, it was a martial art capable of cultivating internal power. Jia Kui had failed to master it, ending up neither here nor there, with only some sense of qi and internal breath. Xiang Yang believed himself superior to Jia Kui in every way.

Moreover, the mission issued by the Wordless Book required him to find and kill the mastermind behind Xiang Da Niu's murder before it would reward him with the Basic Breathing Technique. But he knew nothing of that mastermind's martial prowess. If the culprit turned out to be a great expert who knew internal power, then this would be a dead end.

The safest way to complete the mission was to cultivate internal power first. Trying to complete the mission before obtaining the Basic Breathing Technique would not only be too risky, but would also waste time.

Xiang Yang was already fifteen, nearly sixteen. The sooner he cultivated internal power, the greater his strength would be. If he encountered a cultivation art capable of changing one's aptitude in the future, he would not be left at a loss because a mission was too difficult.

All this passed through Xiang Yang's mind in the blink of an eye. Though the Wordless Book could grant him divine techniques and secret manuals, that did not mean he had to rely on it completely. Better to rely on oneself than on others.

Jia Kui and Xiang Yang each harbored their own schemes. Both believed they had the better chance of winning and wanted to capture the other alive. Their following exchanges therefore became somewhat restrained, each fearing that one careless move would kill the other and prevent them from forcing out the martial art they wanted. It looked less intense than their earlier fight.

"This won't do. This brat's stamina is deep. If this drags on, I'm afraid I'll lose. I'll sell him an opening."

Jia Kui reached out and deflected the Wild Goose Feather Saber, deliberately weakening his strength. He intentionally left his left side open, setting a trap. As long as Xiang Yang took the bait, he would face a storm-like counterattack.

Xiang Yang possessed superior martial arts, but Jia Kui surpassed him in combat experience and knowledge of the world. He had already pretended to be running out of strength before, and now that he deliberately exposed an opening, Xiang Yang did not doubt him in the least. Delighted, he changed his thrust into a cut. With a Moon Embraced in the Bosom move, he knocked Jia Kui's right hand aside and swept directly for his chest, his body involuntarily leaning forward.

"Hooked, you little bastard."

A sly, triumphant smile appeared in Jia Kui's eyes. He abruptly fell backward, evading Xiang Yang's horizontal slash. His formerly idle left hand braced his body hard against the ground, while both legs lashed out repeatedly at Xiang Yang, every kick aimed at his manhood.

This was a killing move within the Tiger Subduing Fist, one that ordinary martial wanderers would find difficult to withstand. Xiang Yang was also startled into a cold sweat by this Sudden Appearance.

He had been too eager to press his advance just now, leaving his lower body unsteady and giving Jia Kui an opportunity. If he had mastered the Iron Crotch Technique, this would have been nothing—even taking it head-on would not have been a problem. But he had not mastered it yet.

Still, though Xiang Yang was startled, he did not panic. He snorted inwardly. Trying to play Monkey Steals the Peach with me? If you don't kick the peach, you're still too green.

With a slurping sound, Xiang Yang inhaled and drew in his abdomen. He had not reached the level of retracting his yang into his belly, but his little brother did shift inward by a few degrees. Under the horrified, unbearable-to-watch gazes of the Green Wolf Gang and Little Knife Society members, two dull clang clang sounds rang out.

Jia Kui had thought the goddess of victory was smiling upon him. But after his kicks landed solidly, he discovered that he had struck what felt like an iron plate. The rebounding force surged endlessly through his toes, bringing pain as though his bones had shattered. He let out a howl, no longer supporting himself with his left hand, and instead clutched both legs as cold sweat covered his forehead.

Xiang Yang retreated several steps. His manhood was unharmed, but both thighs hurt terribly, and tears nearly fell from his eyes. Ignoring the dozens of people watching nearby, he yanked open his belt, reached in with his left hand, fumbled around for a moment, and directly pulled out a black pair of boxer briefs, tossing them onto the ground.

With a clang like iron striking stone, he then shoved his hand back into his crotch and massaged the muscles on both sides of his thighs, which felt as though they had been pressed flat. His expression toward Jia Kui grew even uglier. With that much force, the bastard really had wanted to leave him without descendants.

Meanwhile, the moment those boxer briefs appeared, they drew the eyes of everyone present. They were like some peerless treasure, gleaming brightly enough to nearly blind them all.

The front actually had a specially tailored iron plate, bulging outward in a curve, fully displaying the magnificence of Xiang Yang's little brother. It made quite a few burly men ashamed of themselves. The back, meanwhile, was merely unfastened silk cloth. They had probably never seen such uniquely designed underwear in all their lives.

"Holy shit!" Behind them, Huang Peng's eyes nearly popped out of their sockets. Having lived to this age, this was his first time seeing such a freak as Xiang Yang, wearing an iron crotch.